Jilin Economic & Technological Development Area in Jilin city, Jilin province. [Photo/jleda.gov.cn]

Jilin Economic & Technological Development Area was established in 1998 and is located in the northwestern suburb of Jilin city, 85 kilometers away from Jilin province’s capital city of Changchun. In April 2010, it was promoted to be a national economic and technological development zone with the approval of the State Council.

The zone is the core area of Jilin National Carbon Fiber High-tech Industrialization Base, approved by the Ministry of Science and Technology and is the most competitive fine chemicals industry cluster in Northeast China. It is also one of the few areas in the province that has the qualifications and ability to undertake chemical projects.

With its advantageous location, convenient transportation and logistics links, complete infrastructure and efficient administration, the zone boasts an attractive investment environment.

Economic development

After 20 years of innovation and progress, Jilin Economic & Technological Development Area has achieved sustained and rapid development. In 2018, its GDP reached 7 billion yuan ($992.9 million), an increase of 11.5 times that of 1999; local-level fiscal revenue was 400 million yuan, an increase of 18 times that of 1999.

Industrial development

Following the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries and its acceleration into developing emerging industries, the area now boasts pillar industries including fine chemicals engineering, new materials and medicine. It is also China’s first national-level carbon fiber high-tech industrial base.

Key enterprises

As of the end of 2018, there were 753 enterprises in the area, -- including 86 large-scale manufacturers, 80 enterprises paying more than one million yuan in taxes (including 12 businesses paying more than 10 million yuan), seven listed companies and 17 foreign-funded enterprises. Jilin Chemical Fiber Group in the area is now the world's biggest production center for acrylic fiber, bamboo fiber and carbon fiber; Jilin Fuel Alcohol Company is now the largest production base for fuel ethanol in Asia.

Technological innovation

Over the past two decades, the area has continued to increase its financial investment and strengthened its independent innovation. It now boasts one national-level technology business incubator, three provincial-level characteristic industrial bases (or parks), three provincial-level technology business incubators and 39 R&D service institutions. It has established a close partnership with 12 well-known institutes such as the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing University of Chemical Technology and Jilin University. It now cultivates 10 high-tech enterprises.

Future prospects

The area’s overall goal is to exceed 30 billion yuan in regional industrial output value by the end of 2020 and 60 billion yuan by 2025. It expects to develop stronger technological innovation capabilities -- and also expects to attract 60 science and technology innovation enterprises and more than 50 R&D platforms by 2025.